Apparatus for converting liquids into gases and for dispensing the gases



June 22, 1948. A, clBuLKA APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING LIQUIDS INTO GASES AND FOR DISPENSING THE GASES Filed Feb. 8, 1944 NN R. MN

Patented June 22, 1948 APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING LIQUIDS INTO GASES AND FOR DISPENSING THE GASES Alois Cihulka, Highlands, Tex.

Application February S, 1944, Serial No. 521,756

1 Cla-im.

This invention relates to an apparatus for converting liquids into gases in preparation for dispensing the gases to gas consuming devices.4

The invention is particularly useful in supplying, for industrial use, gases generated from liquids of low boiling point such as oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, hydrocarbons and the like which are initially 'produced in liquid phase and transported from the place of production to the plants or industries Where they are to he converted into the vapor phase for use.

lt is a further object of the invention to foro vide apparatus by ineens of which the process may he cheaply and expeditiously carried out without waste. l

lt is a further important object of the present invention to provide equipment, for receiving the liquid and for converting the same to gas for delivery to the dispensing devices, which is of very siro-ple construction, may he cheaply installed, which is eidcient in use and which will reduce `waste oi the gas to a minimum. i

With the alcove and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts and te a novel. process, or method, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein the ngure shows a side elevational view, partly in section and partly in diagram, of the apparatus constructed in accordance with the in ventiori.

Referring more particularly to the drawing A designates a container for delivering the liquid at lov;r pressure 'te the plant or industry at which the gas is to ce used. Any kind of a container may be employed and the liquid may be delivered into the tanlr or vessel l in any preferred manner. The tank or vessel l :may he located, at or adjacent, the plant or industry and may he permanently installed in place.

ln the present illustration the container a is shown mounted on a truck :lor convenience in transportation and is shown connected up for delivery by mean-s oi a delivery line B which leads from the container A into the vessel l.

The line E may be provided with a valve con trolled relief line 2 through which the air may he exhausted from the delivery line B before delivery is begun. Thereupon the valve 3, of the line B, may be opened and the vessel l lled to any desired level and the valve 3 then closed and the container A transported to other points for making deliveries.

It is here emphasized that the liquid may be lil 2 delivered to the vessel l in any other preferred manner than that above detailed.

The liquid in the delivery container and as initially delivered into the vessel i will be at comparatively low pressure.

The liquid in the vessel i will thereupon gasify and the vessel is equipped with a conventional safety valve o to prevent unsafe pressure in the vessel and leading from said safety valve there is a disposal line l to conduct the relieved gas toy a safe place for disposal.

The conversion ci the liquid in the vessel i to the vapor phase may be accelerated by means of a pipe u which extended through the vessel i and through which a heating agent may he passed; or by an electric heater Within the vessel i. It is to he understood that the heating means referred to are preferably submerged in the liquid in the tank or vessel i.

The numeral it designates a vaporlzer which, if desired, may he heated by a surrounding heater coil or other selected ineens.

Leading from the bottom ci the vessel i to the vaporizer there is a liquid conducting line illb which is equipped with -a conventional check valve ii. The pressure generated in the tank or vessel will force the liquid through the line ich, past the check valve fl and on to the vaporiaer.

It is to he here noted that it is more expeditious to deliver the product from the vessel in the form oi liquid than in the form oi gas hen cause the latter is many times the volume ci the former.

Any type ce? vaporizer may he employed. lt converts the liquid into high pressure gas. lt is equipped with a pressure regulator il which is provided to control the pressure in the gas systern and in the storage tanls anc. il. pressure gas may be delivered from the vanorizer, through the service line to the consuming device. This service line is equipped with valves il and la and leading ircro the service line .into

the storage tanks i2 and fl are the branch lines le, to which are equipped with the valves and i2.

The valve il may be closed and the valve il opened and the storage tank i2 may then be charged with high pressure gas. The valves i'l and 22 may be opened and the valves iS and 2l closed and the storage tank it may he charged with high pressure gas; or the tanks i2 and I6 may be simultaneously charged by opening the valves I 1, 2l and 22 and closing the valve i8.

The tanks l2 and id are also equipped with service lines 23 and 24 which are controlled by the valves 25 and 26. When it is desired to supply gas from a tank I2 or It to the consuming device the valve controlling its branch line should be closed and the valve controlling its service line` should be opened.

A stand-by pump 2l may be employed. This :ump may be driven by an electric motor 28. The pump is4 connected into the delivery line |917 by means of a suction line 29 and a discharge line 39. The suction line 29 is equipped Withva valve 3| and the discharge line is equipped with a valve 32. These valves are opened when the pump is operating and the valve 33, of the delivery line, is closed. The delivery line also is equipped with a Valve 39 which should be opened while the system is operating. The pump will now take the liquid from the vessel I and deliver it to the vaporizer in the required volume. The pump will usually be used when the valve 4 is taken off for repairs; however, the valve 4 may be provided as a standby and only used when the pump fails.

The pressure regulator II is also electlve to p close a circuit, from a suitable source of electrical accelerate vaporization, and increase in pressure,

in said vessel.

There is also shown, diagrammatically, a pump 3l arranged to be driven by an electric motor 38. This pump has a suction line 39a 1eading from the delivery line B and equipped with the valve 46 and a discharge line 4I leading into the delivery line and equipped with valve 42. The delivery line has4 The drawings and description are illustrative 4 merely while the broad principle of the invention will be dened by the appended claim.

What I claim is:

Apparatus for supplying gas at s, predeterminedpressure comprising, a closed vessel arranged to receive liquid to be vaporized, a vaporizer, con

duits leading from the vessel, beneath thelevel of the liquid therein, to deliver liquid to the vapor izer, a, back pressure valve for controlling one of said conduits whereby the pressure in said vessel may force the liquid through the valve controlled conduit to the vaporizer, a pump connected into the other conduit whereby liquid/may be pumped from said VesselA to the vaporizer, manually controlled valves in said conduits for controlling the ow of the liquid by the pressure in the vessel and by the pump pressure through said conduits alternatively, a service connection leading from the' `.ALOIIS CIBULKA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the i'lle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,752,165 Ford Mar. 25, 1930 1,935,925 Wannack ;Nov. 21, 1933 2,166,914 Little July 8, 1939 2,234,407 Hoagland Mar. 1l, 1941 2,286,050 Baker et al June 9, 1942 2,305,314 Little 1 Dec. 15, 1942 2,322,625 Geertz et al June 22, 1943 2,335,837 Abramson Nov. 30, 1943 2,348,546 Kercher May 9, 1944 2,378,077 Garretson June 12, 1945 2,362,984 Boshkoii. Nov. 21, 1944 

